Press



e.'w. BEADLE.

* PRESS,

APPLICATION FiLED DEC. I0, 1919.

Patented May 16, 1922s 3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

, Inventor fleozye Wflead/e G. W. BEADLE.

PRESS, APPLICATION FILED DEC-10, I919.

Patented May 16, 1922.

'- 3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Inventor earye Wfleadle G. W. BEADLE.

PRESS,

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 10, 1919.

Patented May 16, 1922..

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Inventor eorye W1? eadle unit cares career-estates.

GEORGE W. IBEAIDLE, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO COLUMBIA GRAPHO- PHONE MANUFACTURING QOMPANYQOF BRIDG-EPORT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPO- RATION OF DELAWARE.

PRESS.

Patented May 16,1922.

AppIication fiIe-d December 10, 1919. Serial No. 343,739.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. BEADLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Stamford,Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Presses, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description.

In the manufacture of commercial phonograph records it is customary to employ a press having a pair of relatively vertically movable heads between which the mould is usually inserted by hand, after a lump of the record material has first been placed between the two faces of the mould. After the pressing the mould is removed from between the heads and the record removed from the mould. A single or double faced record is obtained depending upon whether one or two matrices is used as the mould faces. The hand method of inserting the mould between the heads is laborious and slow. It has, therefore, been proposed to secure the matrices to the heads of the press; but in hydraulic or other presses wherein the heads or platens that carry the matrices are vertically relatively movable during the pressing or moulding operation, inspection, cleaning or changing of the matrices is difficult because among other things of the usually limited space between their cooperating faces. Of the two matrices the upper one is the more diflicult of inspection, for the light falling thereon is reflected rather than direct and it must be viewed from below its face. Thorough inspection of the matrices is essential for if there should be any par ticles of composition or other foreign matter adhering to the matrices or if they are not otherwise in good condition the record or records subsequently pressed will be worthless.

Attempts have been made to facilitate the inspection and improve the accessibility of the matrices by providing means for moving the upper head laterally of the lower. This facilitates inspection of the lower matrix but does not materially improve the situation as regards the upper. The upper head has therefore been mounted on a trunnion and manual means provided for tilting the same so as to bring the matrix secured thereto into more direct view. Tilting the head by manual means is. however, laborious and slow. The time element is particularly im portant in this art for it is necessary to heat the matrices prior to the pressing operation and then while they are yet in contact with already mentioned.

It is an object of my invention to increase the efliciency of the press by eliminating the delay incident to the use of manual means for tilting the upper head. I accomplish this object by providing means for automatically tilting the upper head after each pressing operation. I The preferred form of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings and is simple and eflicient in operation and has the added advantage of being readily combined with existing presses. It is to be understood, however, that the drawing is merely illustrative of the invention and that ref'erence .is to be had to the appended claims for the part, improvement or combination which I regard as my invention.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing the heads in vertical alinement or what might be termed neutralposition; Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a view in rear elevation showing the heads in neutral position, the lower head supporting means and the crosshead for elevating the upper head being omitted and certain parts being in section for sake of clarity.-

Fig. 4 is a view in side elevation showing the position assumed by the automatic headtilting means when the upper head has been moved laterally of the lower and completely inverted.

In the drawings numeral 10 indicates a base, and 11 a matrix head supported on the base by means of standards 12 which latter also form guides for a movable crosshead 13. An hydraulic means 14 constantly under pressure tends to keep the crosshead at its upper limit of movement when the means, not shown, for moving the crosshead downward is not acting. Numeral 15 designates links connected to the. crosshead 13 at 16 for A support 18 rises from the base 10 and supports a crosshead 19 movable on a pair of guides 20 which are suitably secured to the' support and lower head 11. Pitmans 21 at one end are connected tothe crosshead 19 and at the other to the links at 21. The

said crosshead is moved by suitable hy-- draulic means 22 the plunger 23 of which is connected to the crosshead. Numeral 24 indicates a source of supply of fluid under pressure'and 25, 26 suitable valves for control- .ling the movements of the plunger 23. The

means for swinging the links 15 have been described in detail but it is to be understood ployed for that purpose. m

A matrix head 27having 'a trunnion 28 is supported in the upper end of the links 15. Each terminal of the trunnion carries a gear 29, for engagement with the gear sector 30, which latter is pivoted atits radius center to one of the links 15 as at 31.

Means are provided for locking the head 27 to one of the links 15 and comprises a spring-pressed bolt 32 adapted to shoot into an opening 0 in the adjacentlink 15.

To'unlock the head a plunger 33 is adapted to push the bolt out of engagement with said opening. When the bolt is out of alinement with said plunger and opening, it presses idly against the cheek of the 'link thus permitting the head to be rotated. A

"lever 34, pivoted between. its ends to an axially rotatable trunnion-supported stubsh'aft 35, carries atone end a roller 36 adaptedtobe engaged by a cam 37 projecting circumferentially forwardly of the gear teeth on the sector 30 and at the other end is. connected by any suitable means 38 to the plunger. A spring 39 normally acts to hold in the path of the cam 37 and the free. end of .the lunger spaced inwardly from the inside c eek of the link so as to permit the bolt 32 to enter the opening 0.

A. pitman 4O pivotally connects the sector 30 with the base 10. At this point it may be mentioned that while ll have shown a pair of sectors 30 and cooperating pinions 29 since such arrangement gives a better balanced machine when the upper head is heavy as is the case in the present instance, it will be understood that-a single sector and coopperating pinlon may be used without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Asalready indicated the stub-shaft 35 is supported by the trunnion 28. The latter projects sufiiciently beyond the outside cheeks of the links 15 to permit the pinions I 29 to be keyed to its terminals. As shown in t atany other suitable means may be em by means of the links 15 and 'c-rosshead 13 Fig. 3, theshaft 35 is mounted in a flanged boss 41 which extends into the pocket in the pinion formed by one terminal of the trunnion terminating short of the outside face of the same and the flange on the boss is secured to said pinion by any suitable means, preferably screws as shown. The shaft is suitably headed as by means of a collar 42 to prevent its being pulled out of said boss. The lever 34 is held upright through its connection to the plunger 33 which latter is firmly supported in the opening O.

The upper and lower heads have secured theretoin any suitable manner the moulds or matrices 43, 44 between which the material to be pressed is inserted.

The mode of operation is as follows:

Fig. 1 shows the heads as separated after having pressed a record the upper head having been elevated from the lower head up to meet the pinion 29 on the trunnion. I

Before such meeting, however, the cam 37 on the sector engages and swings the lower.

end of the lever. outwardly whereby the plunger 33 is moved inwardly to force the bolt 32 out of locking engagement with the adjacent link. Continued turning of the links 15, will cause the pinion 29 to mesh with the sector with the result that the-head .will be tilted until it is completely inverted as shown in Fig. 4 when further movement of the links 15 is prevented by the stop bar 17 coming in contact with the bottom of the crosshead 13. The matrices or moulds may now be inspected with facility and in the minimum amount of time. In returning the head to the position shown in Fig. 1, the

are alined. The cross head 13 is then moved downward and the upperhead is carried down against the lower whereupon the material therebetween is pressed. As soon as I the means that moves the crosshead 13 downward is released, the means 14' automatically separates the heads by raising the crosshead 13 to the position shown in Fig. 1. The upper head is then again ready to be swung laterally and inverted as already described.

It will thus be seen that ll have provided a simple and efiicient means for changing I the relative position of the heads whereby inspection of the matrices or moulds carried by same may be speedily madewith a resultant increase in the efficiency of the press as a whole.

,I do'not limit myself to the details of construction shown and described for it will be readily apparent that a skilled mechanic may make various changes, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure,

by Letters Patent is:

1. A moulding press having a pair of upper and lower heads relatively movable laterally and vertically, in combination with means for rotating the upper head after the lateral movement has begun and adapted to be rendered operative by said lateral movement. v 2. A moulding press having a pair of upper and lower heads relatively movable vertically, in combination with means for laterally moving the upper head and automatically rotating the same within the period of said lateral movement and adapted to be rendered operative by said lateral movement.

3. A moulding press having a pair of upper and lower, heads relatively movable laterally and vertically, in combination with means for automatically rotating the upper head within the period of said lateral movement and adapted to be rendered operative by said lateral movement, said means including a make-and-break mechanism adapted to be rendered operative by said lateral movement and to permit rotation of the head at a predetermined point in its lateral movement.

4:. A moulding press having a pair of upper and lower heads relatively movable laterally and vertically, in combination with means for automatically rotating the upper head within the periodof said lateral movement said means including a make-andbreak mechanism and means forautomatically locking said upper head against rotative movement during said break.

5. A moulding press having a pair of upper and lower heads relatively movable vertically and a swingable means supporting the upper head in combination with means for automatically rotating said upper head within the swinging period of said means and adapted to be rendered operative by said swinging movement.

6. A moulding press having a pair of upper and lower heads relatively movable vertically and a swingable means supporting the upper head in combination with makeand-break mechanism between the upper head and said means for automatically rotating said upper head within the swinging period of said means, said make-and-break means and said automatic rotating means adapted to be rendered operative by said lateral movement.

7. A moulding press having a pair of up per and lower heads relatively movable vertically and a swingable means supporting the upper head in combination with makeand-break mechanism between the upper head and said means for automatically rotating said upper head within the swinging period of said means and means for automatically locking said upper head against rotative movement during said break.

' 8. A moulding press having a pair of upper and lower heads, a base to which the lower head is stationarily secured and a swinging and vertically movable means operatively secured to the base for supporting the upper head, in combination with a sec tor pivoted at its radius center to said means, a pitman connecting the sector to the base and means on the upper head for cooperating with said sector for automatically rotating said upper head within the swinging period of said means. we

9. In combination, a press having a lower head mounted on a suitable base, a pair of links pivoted at one end to means between said head and base, an upper head having a' trunnion, the other end of the links supporting said trunnion, asector pivoted at its radius center to one of the links at a point above the pivot thereof, a pitman connecting the sector to the base, the base connection of the pitman being spaced from the pivot of said one link and means on the trunnion adapted to cooperate with the sector for rotating the upper head as the links are swung on their pivots toward the pinion.

10. In combination, a base, a head sup ported thereon, a pair of links pivoted to means between said head and base, an upper head having a trunnion, the other end" of the links supporting said trunnion, a sector pivoted at its radius center to one of the links at a point above the pivot of said one link, a pitman connecting the sector to the base, the longaxis of the pitman being inclined to the long axis of the said one link, and means on the trunnion adapted to cooperate with the sector for rotating said upper head as the links are swung on their pivots.

11. In combination, a base, a lower head supported thereon, a pair of links operatively connected at one end to the base, an upper head, the other end of the links supporting said upper head, a sector pivoted at its radius center to one of said links, a pitman connecting the sector and base, a lock ing means between said upper head and the said one link, means for tripping said looking means comprising a cam carried by the sector and a lever moving with said one link, one end of said lever having operative contact with said locking means and the other end projecting into, the path of the cam; and means mounted on the upper hea d adapted to cooperate with the sector for rotating the upper head as the toward the pitman. v

12. In a machine 'for pressing phonograph records or the like, the combination {of a pair of dies, means for moving them toward and from each other and for shifting one laterally of the other, and means adapted to be set into operation by the lateral shifting of said dies for automatically exposing the face of the upper die to View from above.

13. In a machine for pressing phonograph records or the like, the combination with a pair of dies, the upper of which is out of vertical-and horizontal alinement with re spect to the lower die prior tothe placing of record material thereon, of means for shifting the upper die into vertical alinement with thelower die, and means adapted to be operated by theshifting means for bringing the upper die into a plane parallel.

' other head. is turned lnto a face-exposing to that of the lower die.

' 14. In a machine for pressing phonograph records or the like, the-combination of a pair of dies, means for moving one of the v diesvertically and laterally with respect to links are swung the other, gear means adapted to rotate the movable head during its lateral movement, and comprising a gear member movable with the head, and a gear member adapted records or the like, the combination of a pan of dies, means for moving one ofthe dies vertically and laterally with respect to the other, gear means adapted to rotate the movable head during its lateral movement, and

comprising a gear member movable with the head, and a gear memberadapted to mesh therewith during the lateral movement-and having bodily movement relatively to the lateral movement, and in opposite direction.

' 16. A molding press havinga pair of 00- operating heads relatively movable toward and away from each other, and also having offsetting movement to expose the face of one of the heads, and means whereby the position through said ofi'setting movement, and after such movement has begun.

In testimony whereofl afiix my signature.

' GEORGE W. BEADLE. 

